Generalized anxiety disorder, often abbreviated as GAD can be quite common among children, although it is also sometimes missed or misdiagnosed.
Kids who tend to be very anxious about many things, situations, or scenarios may have GAD.
Their anxieties may seem random, they are not specific fears or phobias, and parents might wonder where their kid even got these ideas.
A child who has GAD gets stuck in the “what if’s” and worries about every little thing, even if it does not seem relevant, plausible, or concerning at the moment.
The What If Worries
What if my parents die?
What if I fail my classes?
What if my dad loses his job?
What if we have a break in?
It is important to note that, in GAD, these worries would be not tied to any specific stressful/ traumatic event. This is not to say that their concerns are unfounded, it’s just that their worries are sort of all over the place and not a result of anything in their history.
This constant will have an effect on your child’s well-being and day to day activities in order for it to be diagnosed as GAD.
Children with GAD are often perfectionists.
They may put a lot of pressure on themselves to get good grades, perform well in school, and be skilled in their extracurricular activities.
Kids with GAD also tend to get upset very easily if they make small mistakes or don’t live up to their own expectations, which can sometimes be unrealistic.
They may need to be reminded often that you don’t want them to put so much pressure on themselves, or that it’s okay to slip up sometimes.
Kids with GAD may also be people pleasers by nature.
Because it can be really anxiety inducing when they think people don’t like them, they may be overly accommodating so that they are well liked. The problem is, this can lead to peer pressure.
They may need to be reminded that they are good enough just the way they are, and need some reassurance that they don’t need to try so hard to be well liked.
They may also struggle with confidence because it’s literally impossible to be perfect and liked by everyone, but these are the self assigned expectations that they are trying to keep up with.
So, aside from offering support, validation, and reassurance, what can you do?
GAD often gets worse if it goes untreated.
It can, however, be treated with therapy and sometimes medication.
A therapist might work with your child on gaining confidence, assertiveness training, working on their unhelpful/ intrusive thoughts, and more.
Some of the treatment options are cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), Strengths-based approach, and art therapy. All of these options can be extremely effective for GAD.
If your child seems to be struggling with GAD and you feel they could use further support with a therapist, reach out today for a free, 15-minute consultation call and if Amel Counseling & Consulting can help your child and family.